Rancher life
by 2Due
Summary: Sequel of "New notes over old memories"
1. Little surprises

_**Ch. 1 – Little surprises**_

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Hi everyone, look who's back! :D

Here I present you the sequel of "New notes over old memories"  
It takes place almost a year after the end of the previous work (without counting the Epilogue) where we see Lucien and Willy at the beginning of their new life as ranchers and club managers.

After I wrote that (let's be honest, kinda awful) epilogue, I thought that maybe it was better if I did something separated to not have too many things mixed up and rushed. So I started this new fanfiction.  
I'm not planning it to be as big as the predecessor, not in length nor in content, just wanted to write this for simple fun with fluff and adding old characters of mine aka resuscitate them from the dead lol

Jean-Claude and L.J. (Lawrence James) are my first Spy and Sniper, both from my very first unfinished fanfiction. I adore those two and I didn't want them to be forgotten. Today they are quite different from the original thought due to their development in my RPs with Anoown from Tumblr (we're friends irl and we live just 2 hours from each other xD), so I'll try to keep everything updated and I'll explain their "were"-selves later on.

I hope you'll enjoy this little thing and feel free to share your comments, I always like chatting around x3

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"Eggs or toast?" Willy asked from the kitchen.

"Eggs, thank you."

Lucien was sitting at the table in the living room, lazily reading the newspaper and petting Fantôme, who was rolled up on his lap, purring and nibbling his fingers once a while.

"Anything new?" His companion asked him as he joined him holding two plates, sitting down and then filling their glasses with fresh water.

"The old _3 Palms_ club closed down." Lucien answered not hiding a bit of sadness in his words. "Quite a pity. Apparently the son couldn't handle the father's job." The old owner of the club was known to be very passionate in what he did, entertaining people with quality music shows and trying new interesting things whenever he could. It was quite innovative, but unfortunately as the old owner went missing and the management passed on to his son, things started tumbling down in just few months.

"Not surprised," said Willy, "that guy never liked his father's way. Too many changes. A pity indeed."

Lucien folded the newspaper, put it aside and sadly moved Fantôme off his legs, gently putting her on the chair next to him. The lady protested and even tried to get back to her rightful place just to be shooed again. As she finally settled down, Lucien joined Willy in lunch.

"Let's go down to the river later?" Willy offered after a while. Lucien considered it for a bit, then agreed.

The two ranchers got their hats and gears ready and moved out to the horse fence. Lucien whistled and Sunshine was the first to arrive. She was always happy to see him and always happy to try stealing his hat.

"Girl, don't you start." He petted her nose and gave her a sugar cube. "Spoiled overgrown filly." He said to the mare and chuckled, he then started to buckle her up with the saddle.

Willy did the same as the big black stallion reached him and nosed at his face. "Yeah, yeah, I'm happy to see you too, Mac." He laughed since they met just before lunch. Right behind the big horse there was young colt Coffee Bean, who of course wanted attention too.

The couple hopped on their respective mounts and Lucien patted at the colt's head. "Come on, follow us, Bean." He smiled and pushed Sunshine into a gallop out of the ranch.

The river wasn't very far, about 10 minutes down the valley. Once there, they let the horses enjoy the fresh water of the shallow stream, free from their gear, while they rested under the shade of their favourite willow. Sunshine was splashing happily around playing with her son, while Big Mac simply rested on the shore with just his hooves in the water.

Lucien leaned his back against the back allowing Willy to lie down and use his leg as pillow. Around them there was a humming peace, breeze brushing the long branches around them, birds singing springs songs and insects buzzing in their first flights of the year. The blondie had his eyes closed and seemed to listen to everything around him. After a while, he took out a notebook and a pen from his bag.

"Feeling inspired?" Willy whispered, as if to not disturb his lover.

Lucien nodded in a "Mhm." and started scribbling down notes on the pentagram, humming them as he went on, stopping time to time to reconsider a part of his song. Willy could just smile and enjoy the private little show, he adored when Lucien tried new compositions and couldn't wait to see him trying the results on his beloved piano at home.

They remained like that for some time with Lucien asking a couple of times what tune sounded better to him and with Willy happy to contemplate and pick. They managed to fill 3 pages and once Lucien was satisfied with the results, they were ready to head back home.

"Willy, come check this out a moment."

Willy removed the saddle from Big Mac and put it away before joining Lucien at Sunshine's booth. "What is it?"

Lucien was patting Sunshine's side and holding the belt of the saddle, which was still on her back. "Three weeks ago I had to buckle it up on the 2nd hole of the belt, now on the 3rd. She got bigger…"

Willy frowned. "Or we feed her too much or she's pregnant…?"

They looked at each other in confusion then at Sunshine who simply cared for munching her apple.

Lucien sighed. "I'll call Theo for a check-up. You never know." He looked at her again, scolding. "Always causing troubles, uh?"

Willy chuckled and put an arm around his waist, pulling him close. "Haha, come on, let's go have a cup of tea."

Within an hour the weather turned from sunny to stormy, with dark heavy clouds thundering over the ranch, yet not raining. Luckily the ranchers had done all their chores in the morning and had no fruit crates to deliver to the bakery downtown, business partner of theirs. Since they moved from the city to the ranch, their lives became busier and both of them felt the change, taking care of a whole ranch with 3 horses, a cow, 5 chickens and modestly big orchard wasn't as easy as they first thought, but they still managed quite well to keep everything tidy, balanced and safe. Surprisingly even Lucien, who always looked like a grumpy dandy, showed to be ready to get his hands dirty if needed and never complained. He was good with animals and found the life of a farmer pretty full and satisfying. Willy on the other hand was pretty used to that kind of life and for him was even easier to get used to. He even found it therapeutic for his conditions, the big scar covering his back kept reminding him of the past and giving him terrifying nightmares once a while, but there he looked more relaxed than when he lived in the city. Mostly thanks to Lucien's care, though.

Willy was resting on the couch with Fantôme against his cheek rolled up in a purring pillow while Lucien was sitting at the piano nearby, trying the notes he wrote earlier, fixing few things here and there and listening to the new melody. It was coming out pretty lovely, with a nice happy rhythm and easy to remember tune, and Willy was loving it. He actually couldn't wait to join with his sax after Lucien was done.

The phone eventually rang and it was Lucien who went to pick up, he didn't want Willy to get up and be bothered. He thought it was Theo calling back, he called him earlier for the horse check-up, but got no answer, yet instead of the medic, he found another familiar voice. "Oh hi, Jean!" Willy looked at him surprised as well. "Tomorrow? Hold on." He opened the little agenda he always kept next to the phone and checked for the next day. "It's Saturday," He whispered to himself. "I can just after 5pm, after teaching." He chuckled at something Jean-Claude told him and he shook his head. "Sure, sure, you wish, _mon amì_. Ok, ok, see you two tomorrow. Bye."

"The bat and the wolf are back? Holey Dooley, that was unexpected!"

Lucien leaned against the cupboard, crossing his arms, and nodded at him. "Looks like it, darling. We'll need to get a nice amount of sweets and pastries then, damn Jean-Claude and that huge sweet tooth of his!"


	2. Busy day

_**Ch. 2 Busy day**_

It was such a lovely morning, with warm sun and fresh breeze, perfect for having breakfast outside. Three old friends were enjoying their time together at a table on the roof of Margie's restaurant, surrounded by marvellous plants and flowers to cover them from the sun.

"And how many days are they staying, dear?" Margie asked and sipped her tea.

"A few, but we haven't planned anything yet." Lucien sipped his as well.

"Are you going to show them shops downtown at least? You could bring them to mine." Mama Rin winked and chuckled.

"And you must bring them here, darling, I'll cook myself for the occasion."

Lucien rolled his eyes and placed the cup down on the table. "You just want to see Jean's muscles, admit it."

Margie gasped offended. "How can you say something like that?!" She patted Lucien's knee as if to scold him. Then she grinned. "But of course, honey." Just to receive a glare from him.

"Yet, nobody wants to see those more than you, Lu." Mama Rin chuckled making him blush up to the roots of his hair. "Willy better watch out, haha."

Lucien took a deep breath, humph'd and crossed his legs. "I do find his structure really attractive, but there's no way I'm going to flirt with him!" He spat offended. The ladies laughed and patted his shoulders, then pulled him in a half hug. "Ok, ok stop it you two!"

Margie couldn't resist and pinched his cheek. "You're adorable when you get angry, honey. You look like a ruffled chick." She ran her gloved fingers in his blonde hair, receiving another glare.

"Said the transvestite peacock." Lucien chuckled and held her hand to kiss it and Margie could just blush with a smile.

The glass door behind them opened and Charlie, Margie's son, appeared with a tray with cookies.

"Oh, thank you so much, Charlie. Oh and, please, honey, get the best table reserved for tonight. 8pm."

"Sure thing, dad." He bowed and went back downstairs.

"Having special guests?" Lucien asked and stole a cookie.

"Of course! You and your friends."

Lucien looked at her squinting his eyes. "Who ever said I'm dragging them here tonight?!"

"I do, honey, I know you well enough." She grinned. "I _know_ you'll be here tonight at 8 o'clock pm."

Lucien groaned. "Fine, fine. _If you insist._ "

Eventually, Lucien had to run away, at 10 am he had an appointment with his lawyer for the usual meeting about the ranch's heritage… O'Hara's son and daughter never gave up trying to get the ranch and the animals back, but every time they ended up empty handed. He drove downtown, up to the lawyer's office and lost a couple of hours listening to the siblings' letters. Usual boring requests, usual unacceptable conditions, usual try to prove Lucien had no right in inheriting the whole package saying their father was an old lunatic or saying the will was fake or… whatever, Lucien was pretty fed up with them and just left his lawyer talk to theirs once again with the same response he gave them: a camouflaged middle finger hidden between his lines. He bet they were going to call him in court and make him lose time for nothing. Again.

No wonder old O'Hara never liked his kids. At that thought, though, Lucien could only feel compassion for the old friend.

Noon, time to get groceries and go home for lunch with Willy.

"I'm home!" He said as he kicked the door open while holding a couple of bags. He closed it with his heel and went to the kitchen, cursing after Fantôme for making him almost trip.

Willy appeared entering from the door-window of the kitchen, sweaty, but with a big smile as he saw his companion. "Ehy." They shared a quick kiss. "You're in a hurry?"

"Kinda. What were you doing?" He instinctively looked outside where he could see a dozen of crates filled with apples and ready to be taken away. He looked back at Willy, who looked sheepishly guilty. "I told you to rest! I was going to do it later!"

The other rancher snorted. "Aw come on, you already have too much to do today."

Lucien grunted and took a deep breath to calm down. It was useless to argue about it, Willy is just as stubborn as he is. "Fine, fine, thanks, Wil. Now go get clean while I cook." He put a grumpy face and started unpacking, not noticing Willy getting closer and smooch him on the cheek.

"You're the best." He whispered and pressed his head against his.

And Lucien melted a bit. "Shut up, you are." He patted his butt. "Now go!" He hissed making him laugh.

They soon had a quick but still nice lunch, with chicken breast and salad. Lucien grabbed an apple, put it in his bag and was ready to go. "Ok, see you at 5pm." He gave him a peck on his lips and pinched his cheek. "You better get your rest, stay indoors and relax or I swear I'm gonna nail you down."

"You're going to do it anyway." He grinned, flirty.

Lucien got sincerely caught off guard. He bit his lips, snorted and shook his head. "Only if you deserve it. Now thank to you I'll be distracted all afternoon."

"It's my job, mate."

"Ah, I know." He kissed him again and walked to the door. "Later!"

And off he went, back to the town, back to his old office where he still had private music classes. He had to change a lot of things after he moved at the ranch, but his students found no problem adjusting to his new timetable. While going to the office he eventually passed by the building where he used to live in. His flat was still there, still his, but empty. He had given a copy of the keys to Nikolai, he could use the apartment as he wished, and knowing him he was using it as storage, just like his on the floor above.

And so he was stuck there until 4.30pm. He surely loved his job, liked his students for their passion and enthusiasm, and he knew he was going to do it for many years to come, but that day he was elsewhere with his mind. Luckily his 3 students of the day didn't notice a thing, made their practice, tried new things with their instruments, got their homework and off they went. He looked at the clock on the wall, hurried up fixing the few papers he had for the next classes and he was ready to get back home. He was so going to scold Willy for real for making his mind run all afternoon.

He arrived just in time for arranging the few chores with the animals, calling the courier for picking up the crates, to later have a shower, prepare the bed in one of the 3 guestrooms and get ingredients for dinner rea- no, not that, he remembered they were going out for dinner. He finally flopped on the couch in cosy clothes next to Willy and let him hold his shoulders and pull him closer. Fantôme was immediately on his lap purring and cuddling against their chests.

"You run too much around." Willy chuckled and kissed his cheek.

Lucien bumped him with his forehead, smiling. "What time is it?"

"6.15pm."

"Should we call them?"

"Nah, I bet they'll be here in a short time. Now relax a bit, lay down." Willy patted his lap offering it as pillow.

"I like this idea." He caressed his cheek and shifted to rest his head on his thighs and drop his legs on the armrest. The cat was on his chest in no time cuddling hard against his chin. "Petit! Stop it!" He said that without meaning it and she knew it, still cuddling against him.

Thirty minutes later the phone rang and Lucien went to get it, scolding Willy for trying to getting up. "Hello?" He then frowned and turned towards the window from where they could see the gate of the ranch. "When did you arrive?!" Outside the gate there was a couple of men waving from their car's windows.


	3. The bat and the wolf

_**Ch. 3 The bat and the wolf**_

"Look at that outrageous car." Lucien snorted to himself seeing the black convertible Mercedez and took the remote from the hooks on the wall. He aimed at the wooden gate and pressed the button to open it.

"Well, haha they always have to show off a bit, you know it." Willy walked behind him and peeked over his head. "I bet it's Jean's."

"Without a doubt." And they both chuckled.

The car moved into the ranch, on the path up to the house, and parked next to Lucien's car. The passenger's door was the first to open and a big scruffy looking man popped out as excited as a kid. "AH! Oh my god, look at you two!" He ran towards the ranchers and grabbed Lucien by the hand, pulling him into a manly hug. "Lucy! Man, I missed your grumbling! You look good!"

Lucien groaned because of the too strong grip. "Hi Lawrence." He coughed as the man let him go.

Lawrence laughed and patted his shoulder, then he turned to Willy. "Oh, Willy, my man, hi!" They grabbed each other's hand into a tight grip, as if ready to arm wrestle on the spot, then the new comer pulled him against his chest, avoiding to wrap him in his arm knowing of his scars on the back. "It's so good to see you!"

"Likewise, L.J.! Jesus, you got buff! You weren't this big last time we met!" He gave his arm a good squeeze to see if it was real or fake. Definitely real. Lawrence James was a tall man, with scruffy looking short brown hair, sideburns and a neat goatee. His eyes were heterochromatic, his left one was blue, famous for giving his few problems with sight, inherited from his father, and his right one a beautiful green. He was looking quite fit, wearing a cosy blue shirt and jeans. Shoeless… for some reason. He used to be a sniper years before, born in Australia, but with a mixed accent. His mother was Italian, his father an Aussie.

Finally the other door opened and Jean-Claude walked out. A shorter man, but with the physique of a soldier, broad shoulders, well-toned thighs and very well proportioned. There was no way that the shirt he was wearing was from a normal store, he surely had to get his clothes custom made. He was wearing a white long sleeved shirt with brown beautiful decoration over his shoulders and tight black pants. Some of his tattoos peeked from under the collar and sleeves, especially the torc tattooed around his neck. He had short puffy black hair with a sort of small pompadour on top, blue ice and the face of a pest. He used to be a spy, actually working undercover for his father. Born in France during World War II, but found by an American soldier and raised oversea. He was good at mimicking accents, but his natural one was totally American.

"Of course the pup couldn't wait any longer!" He laughed and trotted up to them, he pulled Lucien into a hug, lifting him as he weighted nothing, then went to shake Willy's hand. "It's been so long!" He patted Willy's hand while still holding it. "You guys look great!"

In the meantime the pianist was wheezing behind him trying to get his lungs to work again.

The ranchers welcomed them indoors and Willy showed them their room while Lucien went to get dressed for dinner.

Jean abandoned their baggage in a corner and dropped belly down on the big bed. In a second Fantôme was on his back, purring and snuggling on him like no tomorrow.

"Looks like she missed you a lot." Willy observed. Jean was laughing for the tickle, but he gasped as the cat simply went under his shirt and started kneading his lower back. James and Willy laughed and walked out of the room, heading downstairs. "So, mate, tell me," the rancher sat on one of the two couches and invited the friend to join, "how did it go? You saw all Australia? How are your parents?"

"Easy, easy, haha. Yeah, we saw it all! It's been an intense year, but we had a lot of fun. From Tasmania to Darwin, we travelled on the coast and visited all natural parks, all main historical sites… any city we ended up in, we stopped by." He grinned proudly showing quite big chompers. "My ma and pa are as good as always, enjoying their life in the bush and away from big cities."

"Gertrude is still with them I bet."

"Heck yeah, mate! She's not going anywhere, she's too spoiled to just leave for too long. She's even bigger now! She's 18 feet."

Willy looked at him as if he was crazy. Gertrude was indeed a huge croc, but she was seen just as a huge pup free to come and go to James' parents' ranch anytime since 1950, when she was as big as a hand. "Unbelievable! And, eh, does she still hiss at Jean?"

L.J. couldn't hold a laugh. "Time to time, she's always after his tail."

"Yeah, time to time you say." Jean said while coming down the stairs, showing a new shirt, black with emerald thin lines on his shoulders. Apparently Fantôme claimed the previous one… "She was right out the door whenever I opened it, hissing like an angry dragon!" He laughed. "And then ma arrived to save me from the beast with a broom. Eh, it's not even the first time I visit, this was my fifth."

"And she still wants you as appetizer! Be glad his mother rescues you each time then." Lucien said coming downstairs too. "Everyone's ready?"

They all nodded and followed him outside, but Willy held James back for a moment looking pretty excited. "Can you still do it?"

James looked at him a bit confused, but he quickly understood what his friend meant. He raised his fist and after a moment of cracking noises, he opened it showing long dangerous black claws. "You can bet your ponytail, mate." He grinned showing off again his sharp pointy canines.

Suddenly, a short, but loud honk made them jolt. They turned to see Jean waving in the car, a bit pressed against Lucien, who was glaring at him from the driver seat.

"You can play with the pup later, come on, I'm starving!" He chuckled and Lucien placed a hand on his face to push him off.

The two ex-shooters rolled their eyes and hopped in as well. It was after a while that Willy asked James where he had his shoes… Lucien slammed on the brakes and returned to the ranch at full speed. There was no way they were going into a restaurant with someone shoeless.

As soon as they arrived, they immediately got eyes on them from all the other guests. The ranchers were well known at Margie's, but the new couple surely didn't go unnoticed. Charlie was the one to welcome them and guide them to their special table on the terrace and the first thing he did was blush in front of Jean-Claude. Jean always had a wonderful way to talk to people, charming and sincere, he was a true gentleman, but he was a trickster and a goof with friends. James, on the other hand, was a man of few words, yet direct and straight to the point. When they arrived to their table, L.J. sneakily removed his shoes under the table, time to time bumping into Jean's shins.

Margie herself went to meet them and Lucien was more than happy to present her to the new guys. Jean immediately stood up to her presence and kissed the back of her hand, enchanted to meet her and eager to try her special menu. In no time they meal arrived, something that Margie cooked only in very extraordinary occasions, and the four friends toasted to themselves.

Their chatting went on for few hours, mostly sharing stories of the last year, about adventures in the Australian desert and vicious fights with lawyers, to which the new guys frowned a bit confused, but none of them asked for more details for the moment.

When it was time to go back home, Jean insisted to see the chef once again to congratulate her for the marvellous meal and he found her and her son at the entrance. He gallantly shared his appreciation for the whole dinner and wished them a lovely night. James, too, congratulated them and followed the ranchers back to the car after bidding good night. Margie was more than enraptured, but she noticed her son's face.

"Honey, I thought you were a straight man." She chuckled.

"I-I thought too, dad…"

"You guys sure break a lot of hearts wherever you go." Willy told them peeking over his shoulder, this time the guests sat in the back.

"We swear we don't do it on purpose, haha." Jean said, leaning against James' side.

"Hard to believe it when it's you to say it, bat." Lucien teased looking at them in the mirror. "It was a lovely evening though."

Eventually, they arrived home and the ranchers let their guests get comfortable, get their things out of their bags and shower. Yet, before everything, Lucien desired to remind Jean that the rules of the house didn't change from their last visit, which meant that he wasn't allowed to go around naked. Jean had also the habit to go _au naturel_ as soon as he could.

They soon retired to go to bed, it was pretty late and the next morning the ranchers had to work at dawn. Before midnight, the house was dark, yet a figure walked downstairs around 2am, walked out of the main door followed by Fantôme and sat on the bench on the veranda. It was Lucien. He patted his lap letting the cat jump on his legs and cuddle up there while he lightened up a cigarette taking a short drag.

"I see you still have this habit, mon amì."

Lucien jumped out of his skin as he heard Jean's voice coming from over his head. He got so startled the cat jumped down in a hurry. He looked up and saw his friend sitting on the roof of the porch, upside down, just like a bat.

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Meeeeeep!  
Hi hi everyone! Sorry for being this late, but I got really busy in the last period

I hope you'll like this new chapter! I had a ton of fun with it and it triggered me to write more about Jean-Claude and L.J. once again *w*

Seriously, guys, I adore those two "new" dorks and I'd absolutely love to share their weird abilities mechanism! Tell me, would you like to see pictures of the 4 friends? Feel free to share your thoughts, I'll read them all! :DDD

Now that I'm done with the majority of my duties, I plan to write a chapter a week, preferably on the weekends. I'll try my best to follow this schedule and I do hope you'll enjoy!

See you soon and thanks again for all your amazing support,  
2Due


	4. Old habits

_**Ch. 4 Old habits**_

Lucien groaned and sat up again. "Ugh, I forgot you could do that." He gave him a look. "What you mean by that?"

Jean laughed softly. "You still stay up at night. You're not planning to go downtown, are you?"

The rancher looked away from him, pouting and groaning again. "It's none of your business." He took a long drag and puffed the smoke away, patting his knee for the cat to jump back on. He soon realized he has been a bit too harsh and sighed. "I was," he looked up at him, "but I was going to keep my knife at home."

"As if that makes you less dangerous." Jean scoffed and placed his hands on the roof, pushed his legs down towards the ground, looking pretty weird since his hair was aiming skywards as if the ceiling itself had a gravity of its own, and simply dropped on the veranda's wooden floor. He combed his hair with a hand and looked down at Lucien. "Is there something that's still bothering you?" He sat next to him and Fantome quickly stretched her paws so she could touch his leg too.

Lucien fell silent and looked away from him. He gently pushed the cat onto his friend's lap, put off the cigarette in the nearby ashtray and stood up, turning to face him. "It's not like last time, don't worry, I'm over it, but the property fight with O'Hara siblings is getting on my nerves." He started pacing back and forth without realizing it. "Every fucking time they send their lawyer to me, try new contracts, they even threatened us in more than one occasion. It's getting exhausting after 5 years and we cannot see a way out of it. They're worse than bloodsuckers, they just want to get their filthy hands on the ranch, send the horses to competitions and just use them to get rich. They care shit about them or about anything their father wanted them to have!"

Jean was now standing in front of him holding his wrists. "Lu, Lu, ok, calm down now or you'll wake everyone up." He let him go as soon as Lucien started taking deep breaths and relaxed. Fantome was cuddling against her favourite human's legs meowing sweetly. "Ehhh… ok. Let's just go if it helps clearing your mind."

Lucien nodded thankful, patted Fantome's side with affection and headed to his car. They were both in cosy clothes, so they didn't even bother to go to change.

It wasn't a long drive, after about 20 minutes they parked right under Lucien's old apartment.

"Oh I remember the place." Jean said as he got out of the car and looked up to the building. "Is it still yours?"

"Yes, but I just use it for stocking. I don't have much in there though." He closed the door and pocketed the keys. "Come on, follow me, we'll take the long way."

Jean quickly trotted next to him and looked around in silence. The street was completely empty, nothing moved if not for some wild critter crawling in the dark. Many crickets sang in the grass of the gardens of the neighbourhood and tiny bats flew over their heads while hunting for insects. His pointy ears twitched every time something caught his attention, which could have been a leaf falling on the ground or a cricket jumping away. Jean had an incredible hearing.

After few minutes the buildings around them started to change, their look seemed more modern and they were a couple of stores higher. Each still had a small garden with tall trees, but now noises and sounds from the core of the small city were starting to be perceptible.

"Did you use to go out like this even when you were still in your flat?" Jean asked, breaking the silence between them.

"I did, even before meeting Willy. About… one or twice a month."

"How did it start? I never asked you."

Lucien shrugged. "I just remember that one day I needed to do something to make me relax and I read there was a thief on the loose."

Jean snorted. "And so the legendary Super Lu was born." He squeaked laughing as Lucien gave him a playful punch in the guts. "Ow, you hurt an innocent!" He pretended to be hurt, but it was actually his friend to rub his knuckles.

"Yeah, I actually helped quite a few on the right way, you have no idea how many minors try to _be cool_ choosing the criminal path to impress their friends."

"Yet you still met men with actual bad purposes. Willy told me you got a black eye a couple of times."

Lucien bit his lips and sighed. "It wasn't my intention to make him worry… he's now used to my so called _adventures_ , but I know he doesn't like them… I can't help it though. If I get too nervous or upset, I tend to be verbally aggressive and he's the last person I want to vent on."

"Hehe I start to feel sorry for any smuggler who tries to get you."

At that, Lucien smiled proud.

Soon the heart of the city stood right in front of them, with its lights and beautiful colours. Music echoed in the distance, mostly blues and jazz. A big park opened between them and the big lights and Lucien headed in. It was a well maintained park, with a lot of paths, corners for kids, playgrounds and picnic areas, there was also a small lake where people could swim with ducks. Now, in the middle of the night, everything was dark where the light poles didn't shine and a bit creepy too.

Few steps in and Jean's ears twitched as he heard something hiding in the bushes. "A nice place for an ambush here." He said softly at his friend, who nodded agreeing. "Are you going to show me the main street? Are there new shops?" He casually asked, always keeping his ears up. If someone was so stupid to attack a knife master and a "vampire" it was just their funeral.

"Just a couple which opened few months ago, a bookstore and a hobby store."

They followed the path until a clearance where they both noticed a group of people sitting on boulders far from them. It was a group of 4 young men and 2 young ladies, all wearing punk clothes and having colourful mohawks. They were too busy listening to their music on the stereo and enjoying their drinks to care about the two men walking on the path.

"Nasty punks." Lucien said with actually a pretty cheerful tone, almost affectionate.

"You should try a mohawk too! I can totally see you with a bright blue crest on your head."

"Shut up, I'm too old for such a haircut." Lucien said, half laughing.

"What?! Nobody is too old for a mohawk!"

"Would you try it?"

Jean shrugged. "I would."

"A nice bright red, haha."

Jean scoffed. "Ugh, red triggers me, no thanks. Still, I doubt it'd be my style, I'm more like a metal head. I'm very tempted to let my hair grow, you know?"

Lucien looked at him confused at the fact of the colour, he was there to ask him what he meant, but he didn't as he saw his friend stop and looking alert. He frowned even more at him and Jean signed with a nod at their left.

"Someone was following us since we got in the park. They went to call reinforcement, it seems."

Lucien's eyes suddenly got a weird light, he couldn't be more delighted. "How many guests do we have?"

"Four. One has a really heavy step, must be the brute of the gang." He snorted. "Can I handle it?"

"All yours." He shrugged. "Just don't bite him."

Jean pretended to be very offended. "I don't drink blood!" He humph'd.

Lucien rolled his eyes and chuckled. "Oh don't be that touchy, bat." He moved a hand into his jacket's pocket and Jean gave him an incredulous look. He knew the pianist always had extra knives hidden somewhere on his person. "What? You should have known, mon amì."

"When was the last time yo-" Jean got interrupted by a man who jumped out from the bushes pointing a gun at them.

He walked around them slowly and stretched out his hand. "Com'on. All ya got." He ordered quietly.

Jean squared him. "How rude." He waved a hand at him, scoffing. "We'll be with you in a second." And pocketed his hands, looking back at Lucien. "When was the last time you met criminals?"

"Three months ago. They at least had a true gun." Lucien sent a sufficient look at the new guy, who was now frowning at them baffled, but still pointing the gun at them.

"I don' hav all night! Ya heard me!" His eyes moved from them to a point behind them for a fraction of a second and Jean caught that as a sign to counterattack. Not that he actually needed it, he knew exactly there were three other guys going to strike behind their backs like big cowards. He also knew the big guy was the closest.

Jean didn't even remove his hands from his pockets, he turned around raising his leg with stunning speed and hit the huge guy straight in the jaw with the heel of his shoe, sending him flying few meters away to the side and landing on one of his partners. Both landed on the dirt path unconscious and the bat the guy was holding landed next to them. "Aw, come on… that was it…?" He stood back straight, puffing his cheeks out quite disappointed.

"Such a brute you are. Remember that you're not in the army anymore." Lucien shook his head.

"Brute? He was the one going to hit me in the head with a bat." He pointed at the guy on the ground with a thumb.

"Tsk, honestly I think it was going to break in half." He snorted, avoiding the temptation of making "bat jokes", and looked back at the last two bandits. They were simply standing there in pure shock. The one with the gun was trembling and looking rather pale. He fumbled to get his feet working, dropped the toy gun and ran for his life following his other companion. Lucien was faster though and in a couple of seconds the first guy was pinned to a tree with a couple of small knives into his sleeve. Three more joined, pinning the guy through the other sleeve as he tried to get first ones out. "Please, monsieur, don't make this awkward." The man didn't listen and tried to pull as hard as he could, not caring if he was going to rip his clothes. At that point, Lucien rolled his eyes and got the man's neck stuck between two more small blades. The criminal finally gave up not wanting to hurt himself.

Lucien pressed a hand on his shoulder and looked at Jean. "Why haven't you stopped the other one?" He frowned surprised.

"Because there was no need." He chuckled and turned around showing that the escaping guy didn't go too far. He was with his hands over his head, surrounded by people. The group of punks was standing on the path surrounding him and blocking his way. They probably saw or heard something suspicious and they decided to check what was going on. A young couple was running towards Jean and Lucien, looking pretty worried.

"Are you alright?" The lady asked them.

"Help me! Call the police! These two are freaks!" The man against the tree cried, but no one actually believed he was the victim there…

"Do I have to pin your tongue too?" Lucien hissed and the criminal bit his lips, surrendering.

Jean turned to the young punks with a reassuring smile. "Everything is under control, sweetie. Thank you for catching the last one, haha."

"Oh, that was easy!" She grinned cocky and turned to the gang. "Come on, guys, drag him here!" And one of the guys literally dragged him towards them, pulling him by the collar of the shirt, making his butt clean the path. The criminal had his hands tied up with some kind of rope.

In the meantime, Lucien was on the phone with the chief of police. From the way he was talking it was clear they were old friends, he gave her quick info on what happened and where to find them. "And another thing, a group of young people helped us out, make sure they get a little reward, my treat as always. Thanks, Alice, bye." He looked up at the lady. "Can you hold them for a couple of minutes until cops arrive?"

She and her gang looked a bit confused. "Sure thing, sir. Aren't you gonna wait here too?"

Lucien shook his head. "No, we're on a hurry. Come on, Jean, let's go." He gave the pinned man a last pat on the shoulder and put his hands in his pockets before going back on his track. "Have a goodnight you all."

Jean shook his head in disbelief and snickered. "Stay safe." He told them and followed his friend, walking away fast. It wasn't long before they heard sirens and saw a couple of police cars stop at one of the park's entrances. "What about your knives?"

"I'll find them tomorrow in my mail box, Alice knows what to do."

"You sure have useful friends in town."

"More than you think." He smirked.

They finally walked out the park and found themselves in one of the main streets. Usually there was always activity, people meeting at neat places to sing and listen to good music, drink and have fun until dawn. In that moment it was almost desert though, dark too from the lack of flashing neon signs. Jean stopped to look around. "Wasn't there a club or something here? I remember you took James and me there once."

Lucien stopped too and nodded. "Yes, the old _3 Palms_ club. It closed not long ago." He walked over to a big door and his friend reached him quickly. "See? It used to be here. It's the first time I see it locked and I believe everyone in this area suffered from it closing down."

Jean walked up and down in front of the big windows trying to see inside through the darkness. There was nothing to see actually, all furniture was gone, living the dancing floor and the dining area completely barren. Even the insignia over the entrance has been removed. He took a step back and leaned his arm on Lucien's shoulder. "Why don't you buy it?"

The face the man made was a mix of surprise, incredulity and confusion. He looked at Jean as if he was out of his mind… looked at the club… and back at Jean even more sceptical.

* * *

Check out my Tumblr account 2due-the-anteka to see Jean-Claude's ref sheet!


	5. Confrontation

_**Ch. 5- Confrontation**_

"I'll use the secondary door." Jean said as he removed his shoes on the veranda with Lucien looking at him, frowning confused.

"We have a main door for a reason, Jean."

"Yeah, but it doesn't open to my bedroom." He winked, held the shoes in one hand and placed a foot on the wall, then the other, changing his own gravity against the new surface. "Have a goodnight, mon amì." And he quickly and silently tip-toed to the second floor where his window was left open. He smoothly slipped inside and closed it behind himself.

Lucien looked at him walking on the side of his house sighing. He groaned thinking that his dear friend couldn't get any freakier, shook his head and quietly opened the door after leaving his shoes outside. He sneaked inside, carefully stepping in, hoping to find nobody. The living room was dark and silent, nothing moved. He closed the door, it emitted a soft click and another soft noise as he turned the key to lock it. He waited few seconds standing against it, he eventually moved away and… the corner lamp's light got switched on. His heart skipped a beat as he saw Willy standing next to it, pretty much disliking the situation. He crossed his arms and sent Lucien a pretty cold glare.

"I know, I know…" Lucien bit his lips, defeated.

Willy quickly walked up to him and tasted his waist with his hands. He frowned and opened his jacket to find missing knives from his hidden inner belt. He sighed, but didn't allow Lucien to speak first. "Tell me you didn't go out in search for trouble. To show off in front of Jean." He hissed in a mixture of concern and anger.

Lucien raised his hands. "I swear, dear, my first intention was just to have a walk. Jean came along because he was worried. We walked in the park and we just happened to be eyed by someone."

"I believe that! You couldn't be more targetable in the middle of the night!" Willy bit his lip to stop himself from shouting, took a deep breath and sighed… He looked at Lucien in the eyes and shook his head slightly. He took his hands in his, rubbing his knuckles with a thumb. "At least you're not hurt." He said not in the mood to fight again on the matter. He couldn't do anything about it, he tried to understand the true reason Lucien did that, but he failed. He learnt that and simply gave up, hoping that his companion wouldn't get hurt. "I'm glad Jean was with you this time. Are you alright? Is your mind clear?"

Lucien bit his lips and nodded. "I'm fine, I'm fine." He really was a bad liar when he had to face Willy… He leaned in and kissed his cheek apologetically. "Didn't mean to make you worry."

The other man squeezed his hands and just sighed again deeply. "I know." And he dropped the topic knowing it was useless to remind him he disliked his habit. He then moved a hand on his arm, rubbed it and invited him to follow him in the kitchen. "Tea?"

They didn't care about the time and just sat at the table and had a hot cup of tea at 4am.

"Have you been up for long?" Lucien whispered shyly behind his cup.

Willy shook his head and put a slice of lemon in his tea. "Woke up at 3 o'clock. I felt cold and didn't find you in bed. Came down to see if you were here, but I found James. We had a chat until we heard the car and he went back to his room."

Lucien nodded and took a long sip. He was feeling really uncomfortable in that situation, he hated that he made his companion worry, hated that he woke up in the middle of the night because of him and hated that heavy atmosphere in the room.

"What happened this time?" His companion asked, catching him a bit off-guard. "Was it a single guy or a gang?" His voice was calm and it hid a clear hint of curiosity.

Noticing that, Lucien took a relieving breath and felt a bit more at ease. He blessed his lover's kind and patient soul and sat back for comfort. "At first it was just a guy, but he called for help. He probably noticed Jean's shoulders." He snorted and Willy surprisingly did the same. "The leader came out from the bushes with a gun, fake too by the way, it was more than obvious, while 3 men tried to attack us from behind."

"Oh crikey… did you two send them to the hospital?"

" _Non_ , but Jean sent the bigger guy flying with a kick and I pinned the first guy to a tree."

Willy shook his head and rubbed his eyes with both hands, snorting again. "You'll drive me insane…" He ended up laughing and punching Lucien's arm. "Glad you didn't get back home with a black eye this time." At that, the other man pouted and grumbled. Willy sighed and pulled him closer with an arm around his waist. "You crazy old coot. Always been and always will, I guess."

Lucien squeezed him and leaned his forehead against his cheek. "I'll try to stay out of trouble, I promise."

Rolling his eyes, Willy rubbed his back and kissed his head. "Yeah, sure. Come on, let's go back to bed." He kissed his head again and stood up. They abandoned their cups in the sink with water in them and headed up upstairs, back to their room.

Willy dropped belly down on the bed while Lucien closed the door. "Ah, it's cold…" He groaned and rolled up under the blanket.

"Be patient, I'm coming to warm you up." He quickly changed into cosy pjs and joined his lover. He laid next to him belly down too, with an arm around his back and pressing himself against his side. He leaned his head on Willy's pillow and stole a small kiss from him. "Ah, Jean had quite an idea today."

"Haha, I won't comment, I know he's probably listening." He said, whispering as soft as he could.

"Do share, mon amì!" Their friend said out loud from the other far bedroom on the floor.

"Go to sleep, you freak!" Lucien yelled at him, chuckling.

"I'm trying!" And with that Jean went silent.

Lucien shook his head and snuggled closer to Willy, to whisper in his ear. "I forgot how careful we needed to be with those two around."

"Eh, I didn't. Last time was quite a walk of shame."

"God, please don't remind me of that episode…"

Willy laughed against his shoulder. "That was so embarrassing. Please, continue."

Lucien grimaced and snorted against his neck. "We walked past the _3 Palms_. He thinks we should buy it."

"Buy it?" Willy raised his head and looked down at him, frowning. "You want to open a music club?"

"Why not?"

"Don't we have too much work to do at the moment?"

"Yeah, but… this could be something fun for once."

Willy thought about the idea of owning a club… sure, the work at the ranch was something that took almost all of their time and opening a business like that wasn't going to be easy… but it could be a nice change though, they could organize a new timetable and finally make music a big part of their life again. There were going to be shows and live performances, they could give new opportunities to artists and actually have something of quality. "The start is going to be rough, hon… but call me in!"

.

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Thank you for reading! Next chapter next Monday or the next one :)


	6. Bring back the music

_**Ch. 6 – Bring back the music**_

 **6:00 am**

"Rise and shine, time for breakfast, guys." Lucien said as he knocked on the guests' door, but he got no response. He groaned and with a secure swing, he opened the door and stepped inside. "I said rise and shine!" He stopped, confused to see the bed empty, until he noticed a long, thin, white devil-like tail lazily swinging from the ceiling. He followed it with his eyes skyward finding its owner, Jean, sprawled over James, both stuck on the ceiling with a pillow and a blanket covering them. Lucien took a long deep breath. So much for getting them the best sheets in the house and they decided to sleep on the freaking ceiling. He angrily grabbed that white tail, careful to not touch the arrow-like end, and yanked it down. Jean jolted awake with a gasp, getting a tight hold of the pillow, losing all contacts with James, who, poor guy, lost the protection of his companion and normal gravity claimed him once again. The scruffy man landed face first on the bed dragging the blanket along. Lucien humph'd crossing his arms, glad to see both of them were wearing pyjamas. "Hurry up already or you won't get any pancake!" And he stomped out.

 **6:20 am**

Finally the two guests joined the ranchers downstairs, fresh and dressed up, ready to start the day. Jean looked a bit overdressed though, high collared white shirt, silk black gloves, long pants and cowboy hat in his hand for later. He also strongly smelled of sunscreen. Within years, his skin got really sensitive to sunlight and he could easily burn, even after 5 minutes under the sun. James was in cosy purple t-shirt and jeans, shoeless again, but he had his shoes in his hand. They dropped hat and shoes next the exit and rushed to the kitchen smelling coffee and pancakes.

At the table Lucien and Willy were enjoying their breakfast and there were just other two chairs for the guests. James pulled his back and sat down, but when Jean pulled his, he found the fluffy cat, which purred like crazy seeing him and her paws started kneading the cushion. Jean looked up at Lucien, pouting as if begging for help, and the pianist shrugged nonchalantly as if to say it wasn't his problem, and Willy just snorted shrugging the same way as well. Jean groaned, patted her head and pushed the chair back under the table. His long thin tail slipped out from the hidden opening in his pants, under the belt, he used it as a stool and crossed his legs.

 **6:40 am**

It was time to set the stable in order and Lucien made both guests sweat. Actually, for them it was no effort at all… they cleaned here and there, Jean helped moving heavy things while James helped with the horses and the chickens. Willy took care of their single cow and checked for the fruit trees, orders and crates to fill.

Too bad Lucien didn't warn Jean of Sunshine's awful habit to steal hats. He had to ask James to get it back and it took him good 20 minutes to have it back, munched and dirty too… Luckily Willy had an extra for him.

 **12:00 am**

After a good shower, a call to Theo to finally set an appointment for Sunshine's possible pregnancy and a call to the previous owner of the _Three Palms_ club, the group was off to get lunch downtown. They chose a nice restaurant nearby Mama Rin's store, which they were going to stop by later for sure.

They got seated and, at turn, they ordered their meals. Both Jean and James sure caught the young waitress' attention with their charm, making her blush.

"Mate, stop making everyone fall at your feet." Willy chuckled and gave Jean's shoulder a soft punch.

"Ehy, I do nothing, can't help it if I'm gorgeous." He flattered his lashes like a princess.

"A gorgeous mess." Lucien bitterly added and grinned behind his glass of wine.

"Still gorgeous." And he winked at James, who agreed with him.

"So," Willy started to ask while grabbing a mini sandwich of the appetizers plate, "how's Antoine doing? Is he still with Isabelle?" He's been wanting to ask them about him since that morning.

"Sure thing, those two are inseparable!" The wolf said and he grabbed a bunch of mini sandwiches… "They are doing great, their sons too."

"How many kids does she have again? I keep losing count." Lucien asked.

Jean started counting on his fingers. "Hold on, there's Malcolm… who is the first born, then the twins Henry and Ronald, then Charles, Darren, Valentine, Hogart and lastly Johnathan." He puffed still amazed.

"Eight. And then you need to add William and Ryan from Antoine's side. Man, what a family, haha." L.J. added.

Willy snorted. "Of all names… He had to pick mine for his kid."

"Does it mean you gotta call him dad?" The wolf laughed and ravenously chomped down three sandwiches at once.

"Nah, I already have my own daddy." And he sipped sending a flirtatious look at Lucien, who turned as red as a tomato on the spot looking around hoping nobody around them heard his companion. Luckily for him, people were more shocked by Jean and James' loud outburst of laughter.

 **2:00 pm**

"I'll head to the meeting then," Lucien said while checking and adjusting the wrist watch, "it shouldn't take too long. Let's say… meet me at the club around 5 o'clock."

"While I drag these two to Mama Rin." Willy said as he closed the door of the restaurant behind himself. "If we don't see you, I'll release the dog to find you." And he pointed at James with a thumb, grinning.

"Eh, won't be a problem, he uses a lot of perfume, mate." L.J. chuckled as Lucien rolled his eyes.

"Ugh, freaks… Later, guys." He winked at his companion, who quickly reciprocated - it was their way to have some kind of kiss in public- and Lucien rapidly walked away.

 **2:30 pm**

"Welcome! Finally I see you in my humble shop!" Mama Rin beamed when Willy, Jean-Claude and L.J. appeared at the door. She quickly trotted towards them, gave the rancher a nice pat on his cheek –to do so she had to stay on her toes- and approached the new comers pretty giggly.

Jean took her hand gently and kissed its back. "We meet again, ma'am. Charming as always."

James bowed his head and lifted his hat as sign of respect. "A pleasure to see you again, Mama."

"Oh shush, you two, and stop being so formal," she said, blushing, "How have you two been? Heard ya went around Australia! Old Willy here told me. Oh, oh, silly old me, please, come and have a seat, I have tea and cookies in the back!"

Hearing cookies, Jean was the first to follow her behind the counter. They ended in a small room with a kitchen corner and a door giving on a small garden. There was a huge tray of freshly made cookies on the table and Jean couldn't simply resist, he was munching one even before sitting down.

"Ohh I see your sweet tooth is still there, sweetie! Do, do enjoy." She pinched his pale cheek and went to get the tea ready.

Jean looked like a spoiled brat… a spoiled buff brat and James was looking at him with quite adoring eyes.

Willy, instead, noticed few boxes on the ground in a corner. "New arrives, Mama? You got something for me?"

"I don't know, darling, but feel free to open them." She passed him a pair of scissors and he sat on a nearby stool starting to unbox. They were full of vinyl discs, music cassettes and books about music genres, artists and more.

Willy got completely lost into the books and magazines while the others talked about their experiences. The more he found, the more his mind ran around the idea of the club… he was still slowly realizing what that could bring into their lives and, frankly, he couldn't wait to see Lucien back with the contract and the keys. He started fantasizing about what they were going to need, from the furniture to the small things to entertain clients between a show and the other… "Mama? How many magazines do you have?"

She turned to him blinking a bit confused. "Uhm… quite a lot actually, people really search for them. Why, honey?"

"I need you to keep aside for me a ton of these, even doubles, all you got about blues, jazz, swing, I need to fill a whole library."

She frowned, but then smiled seeing the excitement on his face. "What you and Lucien up to?"

"Oh you'll see!" He quickly said, not letting the other two spoil the news. He got up on his feet holding few books in his arms. "Come on, let's start gather material! You two, get up and help me!"

Jean pouted with a cookie still in his mouth and James sighed and got on his feet. Mama Rin simply shook her head and went to get new boxes in another room.

 **4.30 pm**

After the 5th box, Willy finally checked the time and decided what they packed was enough for the moment. They gathered quite a nice amount of material, magazines, vinyls, biographies… Willy was far from done though, but they had to go. He reached over Mama Rin's counter and insisted to pay for the material. She complained and tried to convince him it wasn't necessary, but the rancher insisted even more, took 300 dollars out from his wallet and shoved them in her hand. "And if it's not enough, I'll give you more next time!" He said angrily, but leaned over to give her a kiss on her cheek and chuckled at her grumpiness.

 **5:00 pm**

Willy, Jean and L.J. arrived at the club location earlier just in case and waited for a while, talking to the few people in the street and have a coffee at the bar nearby. Jean was the first to notice Lucien, to hear his steps actually, and the trio hurried up to meet him.

"So? How did it go?" Willy asked him almost unable to keep his excitement under control.

With a swift and elegant move of wrist, Lucien took out the bunch of keys he had in his pocket and played with them, grinning. "As you can see, the local is ours." And with the other hand he showed the signed deed and contract.

Unexpectedly, Willy grabbed him by the waist and lifted him, pirouetting and laughing euphoric.

"Ohi, ohi, easy! You're making me dizzy!" The blondie laughed and patted him on the shoulders. "Put me down, silly."

Willy obeyed and brought a hand to his hair. "Haha, sorry sorry! Come on! Open the door!"

Lucien sent him a look full of pride, recomposed himself and headed to the entrance.

The place was quite… desolate indoors… it's not been closed for long, but looked as if been abandoned for years. The hall wasn't big, it was a long corridor covered by an awful carpet and it led into the main room. It was a small theatre, at the end there was the stage, on the left what used to be a bar and on the right where once tables and private booths were. Now it was just dust and decay. Everything needed to be changed.

The group walked in looking around contemplating the conditions of the place. Willy had a fast pace and it was very clear his mind was giving birth to many idea altogether. His companion was quite surprised, pleasantly stunned to see such eagerness from him, thing that actually made his heart fill with pride and adoration.

On the other hand, Jean and L.J. were having a couple of troubles with the situation. The smell of the place was too strong for James' nose and Jean gave him his precious handkerchief, which made him feel a bit better as he placed it over his nose and mouth.

Willy noticed them and went around in search for the emergency door, he found it on the right of the stage and he opened it to let the air flow. "Don't worry, wolf, we'll get an air conditioning system working, hehe." To which, James replied with a thumb up.

"What's up there?" Lucien suddenly asked. Everyone looked at the high ceiling noticing a dark mezzanine with no staircase to give access to.

"Let me." Jean winked and quickly walked up on the wall to reach the place. "Oh wow… it's full of old furniture. It's pretty big as a room too."

"Is there a ladder?" Lucien asked.

"Nope. Just ropes."

Lucien groaned. "We'll get it fixed too…"

"It has a wonderful view on the stage though, you could use it as private office or VIP booth."

"We'll see, we'll see. We have a lot to do first."

Willy got closer to the pianist, wrapping an arm around his waist. "You have paper and pen?"

"I always do." He opened his shoulder bag and took out his usual note block and his pen.

"Thanks. Ok… Let's start signing what we need to do first…"

It ended being a very long list… Many things to clean and to be replaced, many others to be added for necessities… It took them a long time to set a first phase down.

"No wonder the previous owner told me the place was a money pit." Lucien commented seeing the long list.

"You need a monetary support?" Jean asked, leaning over his shoulder.

At that question, Lucien simply snorted and pinched his nose, making his retreat. "Not even in a million years, mon amì, we can easily afford it, don't worry, but we'll surely need your muscles."

Jean turned up his nose then grinned at that request. "Won't be a problem for that."

"Guys, it's almost 7pm, can we go? I can't stand this smell anymore…" James was pretty pale and he really needed to change air. Jean took him under his arm and led him outside, excusing themselves.

Seeing them go out the front door, Lucien realized it was time to settle things down and close for the day. He packed all the papers while Willy closed the emergency door and turned off the lights, but before he could even think to follow their friends out, Willy grabbed him by an arm and pulled him against his chest and pressed his forehead against his, towering over him. Lucien blinked a bit shocked, looking up at him in his eyes, but he soon realized his lover's intentions and he smirked. "Excited, hm?"

"Very."

"They might be watching, you know?" Lucien chuckled.

"Let them." He shrugged.

Slowly, they leaned closer to one another, tilting their heads just enough for their noses to not crash, and let their lips softly brush into a tender, almost shy, kiss. Hands roamed around, Lucien's to the other's nape, Willy's to his back, slowly tightening their grip on the other as their kiss deepened into something passionate, intimate, something of their own and only theirs. It's been a very long time since they felt that warmth between them, too many things to take care of, too many changes … too short free time to share together for a true moment of passion… As they slowly lost themselves into the moment, they soon realized how much they needed it and how much risky it was getting. Lucien forced himself to end the kiss with a peck and pulled away regrettably. They were both panting and craving for more, their cheeks incredibly hot and flushed, their eyes drowsy and full of desire. They hugged, leaning one against the other, pressing their faces into the nooks of the neck of the other. They remained like that for a short moment, alone, in the middle of the big room, smiling and both happy to bring back music in their lives for real.

* * *

Took me more time than I wanted to, but here it is :3 I made it a bit longer than usual with a time set into the text, I hope you like it!  
Next chapter will be NSFW, heads up!


	7. Private celebration (nsfw)

_**Ch. 7 – Private celebration**_

It was pretty late when the ranchers and their guests finally returned at home, all clearly still pretty excited about the results of the day. Lucien seemed the one with the brightest smile and with the mind full of ideas. He was quite in a good mood, so good that he has been insisting to have numerous toasts during dinner, yet -luckily for him- Willy and the other two managed to stop him, they all knew how easily he would have ended up drinking like a sponge and getting heavily drunk. Thinking about it, he was actually glad he drank just a glass of wine.

He locked the car behind himself and headed to the door. He turned the key in and moved aside to let his guests get in first, but he frowned seeing them standing of the veranda. "You both need an explicit invitation now?" He joked on the vampire aspect, chuckling.

Jean snorted and showed him his tongue. "Eh, no, no. We'll just stay out for the night."

Both ranchers frowned. "Isn't the bed comfortable enough?" Lucien asked, then he remembered the morning. "Ah, right, you didn't even try it…" He teased, making them chuckle.

"We just wanted to give you some privacy." L.J. said.

"We thought it was appropriate after today." Jean grinned. "And we know it's not easy to enjoy some privacy while having guests. Especially guests who can hear anything from miles." He laughed softly at Lucien's eye roll. The bat purposely avoided to underline that he and the wolf noticed the tension running between them after they exited the club. Both Lucien and Willy were pretty much lost in thought, silently flirting with one another the whole time, even earlier in public at the restaurant.

Lucien opened his mouth to say something, but Willy spoke first. "If you're gonna stargaze, let me give you blankets, it's gonna get chilly." And he quickly walked inside. His companion followed him with his eyes, pretty surprised by how quickly he agreed on the offer and then sent a look at Jean, who shrugged and raised his hands, chuckling. Soon enough the ponytailed guy walked back out holding a gym bag. "There you go, added few other things as well."

James grabbed it and held it on his back. "Thanks, mate." He looked at Jean. "Let's be off? I saw a nice spot up the hills yesterday." He grinned, showing off his big sharp teeth. Jean reciprocated the smirk and scratched him under the chin, ruffling his goatee as well, and with that, the wolf needn't any invitation. Suddenly a disturbing noise hit their ears as James' bones started snapping while he transformed. Fur grew all over his body, a big fluffy tail popped out from the back of his pants and his facial features changed drastically showing a long canine muzzle with cute thin whiskers. Really dark grey fur covered his head, almost black under the dim light on the porch, his ears were darker but with a white tip and golden simple stripes covered his forehead. His arms were dark as well, but lighter on the underside, his fingers white with black claws and grey beans. A white tuft appeared from the collar of his shirt, brown spots signed the border between the dark and light fur. His legs changed into a more feral shape, his feet were covered in black fur with white toes and black claws again. His tail was an explosion of black fluff with rare and thin golden stripes, ending with a white tip. His size didn't change much, but it was obvious his clothes looked a bit tight.

He gave himself a good shake and wore the gym bag as a backpack, while Jean fixed his shirt and belt trying to make him be more comfortable. Once done, he gave his loup-garou a nice pat on the butt.

"Oh man…" Willy shivered, rubbing his ear. "I'll never get used to that awful noise."

Lucien patted his arm and saluted the weird couple in front of them. "Try to not get into trouble, you two."

"And you try to not break the bed." Jean winked at them and turned to the big pup. "Show me the path, hon." James nodded and got on all fours to dash out of the gate of the ranch and up the hills into the dark. Jean was quickly after him running at incredible speed.

Once the two were far enough, Lucien sighed and rubbed his eyes then his temples. "Tell me I'm not the only one to still find it hard to believe we're friends with those two."

Willy laughed softly and pulled him closer. "Sorry, I do believe it, as weird as it is, hehehe." He planted a kiss on top of his head. "Come on, let's get comfy." He whispered those words in his ear, making the pianist shiver. Lucien could just agree with him and kissed his cheek before leading him indoors.

After fixing a couple of things in the kitchen and feeding the cat, Lucien killed the lights, smoothly grabbed the taller man by the shirt and pulled him as he stepped back to one of the couches. He sat down and Willy awkwardly lost his balance falling over him, stealing a laugh from both of them.

"Slow down, cowboy, or I'll break my neck!" Willy chuckled as he settled better over his lap, invitingly pressing his crotch over Lucien's.

"Not on my watch." He carefully moved a hand behind his companion's scarred neck, caressing him where only he could ever touch him. Willy's scar covered almost all his back and behind his neck, very sensitive and always bringing back bad memories. With time Lucien learnt the right touch, the one which made Willy's skin crawl in pleasure and not in fear. He guided him downward to meet his lips and the two locked themselves into a passionate kiss.

Willy's arms slid over his lover's shoulders, hugging his neck, and Lucien's skilled hands roamed on the other's thighs, rubbing them up and down, slowly and teasingly, finishing the job with a strong grip, which caused Willy to gasp against Lucien's grin. The taller man shivered, but quickly recollected himself and quickly returned to their kissing, taking the lead.

It took Lucien a bit off guard, but the pianist didn't protest nor fight back, he let his lover get all the control he wanted, allowing to let himself go just enough. His hands gripped harder to make Willy stiffen, to then moving them on his hips and to guide him down as he pushed his own hips upwards with smooth moves, wanting Willy to feel how hard he was already.

Willy responded rolling his hips and panting. "Tight…"

"Allow me, dear…" He caught him again in the kiss while his hands dexterously unbuckled his belt and opened his pants.

"Tsk… not so fast." Willy caught his wrist with a hand while locking his neck in his arm. He pressed his nose against his cheek, kissing it. "You missed a step."

Lucien chuckled and moved his free hand under Willy's shirt, lifting it. "Forgive me." He teased and went to caress a cold tense nipple. "How inconsiderate of me." He gave him a peck and smoothly moved both his hands to his shirt, unbuttoning him starting from the top, while he started kissing a path down his neck to his collarbone and shoulder as he opened the shirt.

Willy simply melted under his care, the more Lucien kissed his skin, the weaker he felt and the thing surely didn't bother him. He gasped softly, pressing his forehead on top of Lucien's head, taking deep breaths into his hair, adoring his sweet smell. His hands roamed to the pianist's collar to loosen the tie and undo all his buttons as well, but as he started caressing his chest, he winced, feeling him nibbling his neck. "Cocky." He scoffed.

"Just the way you like." He shared a peck on the lips and he grabbed the belt with both hands, shaking it. "Come on, you look very uncomfortable in these, haha, let's rip it off."

"Straight to the point." Willy chuckled amused.

"No, pansexual, darling."

Willy looked at him for a long silent moment, then simply hid his face behind a hand… "Lucien…" He tried to not giggle, but it was too bad to resist.

"What?" He laughed, pushing him aside to lie on the couch and helped him out of pants and underwear as gracefully as he could. He kneeled in front of him keeping a leg down to balance himself, and gently grabbed Willy's leg, the one against the back of the couch, and left it over his shoulder, kissing it and massaging it. The view in front of him simply made his blood boil, his eyes ran all over Willy's body adoring every little detail of him, from his moles to his battle scars, and seeing him panting and so aroused drove him absolutely crazy. Willy locked his eyes with his and smiled, he well knew the effect that he had on Lucien and he was really proud of it and very ready to fight the consequences.

Surprisingly, it was Willy to make the first move, taking hold of that loose tie and pulling the entranced man down over himself. Lucien landed a bit clumsily on him, with his hands at his sides and his chest pressing heavily on him, while Willy still held the tie tight, pulling him towards his lips. Lucien didn't need a second invitation and dove in, pressing his lips against Willy's and gently guiding him into a deep kiss. Their hearts were hammering one against the other and hands were fast as they roamed on naked skin. Soon Lucien found his shirt being pulled off as Willy worked his way to remove it, yet leaving the tie around his neck, and he shivered as he felt fingertips roaming down his sides, pressing against his muscles and ribs and into his pants, over his hips.

"Guess you're getting uncomfortable too into these, hon." Willy whispered against his lips, chuckling, and started leaving a little trail of pecks on his cheek. His leg moved up to Lucien's hip and teased him with a heel behind his butt.

They were both breathless and panting against each other and Lucien really started to hate his pants. "Maybe we should move into bed." He offered, yet at the same time he leaned in exposing his cheek even more for more little kisses and his hands quickly went to his belt.

A sudden loud meow froze them both. They turned to see Fantôme passing by in the dim light of the dark room, making her usual protesting murrs and purrs as she trotted upstairs. Few seconds and they heard their room's door being pushed open.

Lucien sighed heavily and Willy simply chuckled. They were on her favourite spot in the room, so she went to steal theirs.

"Come on, luv, enough fooling around." Willy caressed his chin with gentle fingers and gave a soft kiss, while his hips gave in a push upwards. A grin formed on the man's lips as Lucien groaned in agreement.

With a swift move, the pianist placed his arm under his companion's arched back and, with a little effort, he pulled him up and guided him as he sat up again, making him kneel over his lap. Willy's member was hot against his belly, deliciously brushing against his skin as the ex-shooter smoothly started rolling his hips after wrapping his arms around Lucien's neck. The pianist lifted his hips, trying to focus to remove and kick his pants off, which was pretty difficult since Willy had no intention to let go of his lips, guiding him into another deep kiss. But the blondie was no rookie and knew even too well Willy's tricks.

He couldn't hold a sigh of relief as he felt himself free from his clothes, kicking them all off aside without a care. He instinctively grabbed Willy's hips and guided him down as he tilted his upwards, brushing hot between his butt cheeks with his own eager member. " _Mon petit saxophonist…_ "

With an arm still around other man's neck, Willy went to grab once again his tie and gave it a tag, making him look up at him. "Who're you calling small, luv?" Yet he quickly noticed how Lucien's eyes were filled with adoration and respect and, at that view, Willy easily lost that "bad boy" look he was so trying to keep, melting into them and snorting defeated. It never worked with Lucien, the man always knew how to strike into his heart and unmask him. He adored him for that. "You're impossible." He smiled and pressed himself again against him, shifting his hips and allowing a soft moan to escape from his throat as Lucien's hands moved, one on his erection, wrapping it up in a warm grip, and one on his buttock, giving it a nice squeeze.

It didn't take too long for Lucien to have Willy whimpering in his ear, moaning and quivering as his hands worked on him. He himself was burning inside, eager to please his lover in the deepest way he knew, striking all those spots that made him moan and making him come hard as he cried out loud his name. The idea and the memory of their numerous nights making love -few of them even under trees in summer times- made his erection pulse and twitch even more. His hand let go of Willy's and fondled him gently, teasing him with soft caresses and rubs, then moving over his thigh as well where he knew Willy adored to be touched.

He gave him a soft bite on the neck and Willy jolted lost in pleasure. That was the sign Lucien has been waiting for.

He quickly grabbed both butt cheeks in a tight grasp. "Willy, darling…" He panted in his ear and his companion moaned against his neck. They both knew they had no lube nearby, nor anything they could use as substitute, so Willy opted for old school style. He licked his hand and moved it behind his back to gently grab Lucien's member, giving it few wet strokes. The blondie bit his lower lip moaning softly and Willy looked down at him satisfied by his reaction. With tender guidance, Willy shifted his hips and brought Lucien into position, with the hot tip of his erection pressing against his entrance. It was Lucien to then guide his lover down as he thrust upwards, slowly penetrating. The Aussie let out a low gasp to the familiar lovely sensation, carefully rolling his hips in time with Lucien to ease the act.

Their pace was slow and cautious with Lucien going slightly deeper at each thrust, emitting soft moans and kissing Willy's neck with trembling pecks, until he couldn't go any deeper and Willy was trembling in bliss, groaning and breathing deeply to keep the focus. A slender hand cupped Willy's cheek and the taller man looked down at the smiling pianist. He couldn't resist smiling back and cuddled his other cheek against his, while Lucien's fingers brushed softly against his skin, moving down his neck, his hairy chest, his side, to move on his back, resting warmly on the scar. Willy unwillingly shivered as the hand stop, but it was his natural response to anything touching his scars, but only Lucien was allowed to keep it where it was and only him. Lucien held him closer and leaned his lips against the nook of his neck, panting against it, resisting the urge to move his hips. He wasn't going to move until Willy gave him the permission. He could still feel him too tense and he knew he needed his time. He wasn't going to move for as long as his lover needed, although his instincts were screaming at him to move his hips, even for the slightest, Lucien wasn't going to betray Willy's trust, not ever.

After a long minute, finally Willy let out a long sigh and Lucien could immediately feel him relax around him. Lucien himself let out a long sigh, breaking it into a moan as the other man shifted his hips side to side. It had an immediate response from the pianist, who quickly took hold of his hips to guide him in his movement before he could move as well. Strong chills ran through their bodies as they started to get a constant pace, deep and slow, brushing against all the right spots. Lucien kissed his neck, his chin, his lips, whatever he could just to keep Willy focused on him, and he eventually moved a hand to hold again of his member, which was still pulsing and twitching hot against his belly. As Willy felt his hand, he seemed to melt, every stroke, every rub on the tip with the thumb, every caress made him huff in a shaky way, even his voice came out broken as he started to call for his name and giving him a bit of direction in what he wanted to feel. To Lucien's ears, those requests were orders which he was more than happy to oblige.

Their pace started to break within minutes, but they were trying to keep going as long as they could, none daring to leave the other even a bit unsatisfied. They tried to tilt their hips for better angles more than once, but they knew they got the right one only when Willy jolted sitting up, abruptly breaking their kiss and looking at Lucien with very surprised eyes. Lucien dared to thrust again in that angle and Willy jolted even harder covering his mouth with his hand. Lucien quickly tried to gently move that hand away, begging him to let him hear his moans, achieving it only after few soothing loving words. As he thrusted hard again, he felt Willy's skin crawl and the taller man pretty much screamed his lover's name to the sky as he arched his back and brought his hands into his hair, balancing on his lap just thanks to the pianist's support. Lucien could have died there after receiving such a blessing, it's been such a long time since he saw his lover reaching such level of pleasure, and to that his heart was swelling with pride and love.

Few more thrusts and they were both reaching their limit, but none wanted to climax before the other. Their eyes locked, drowsy, but still alert, it was everything they needed to understand one another. They shared a quick last kiss before slowing down their pace, taking deep breaths to then just focus on their bodies, on the friction between them, on every nerve struck at each thrust and simply let it go. Willy was the first to climax, hard in Lucien's hand, while the pianist unfortunately needed a couple more pushes to finally feel his orgasm hit him hard and come deep inside Willy.

Trembling, spasming and out of breath, the two lovers held tight of each other, their muscles tense under their palms and their lips salty with sweat, but everythingwas worth it, they loved everything of it and silently called the moment their private celebration.

* * *

Hello everyone,

I hope you enjoyed this chapter, it took me longer than expected, but I'm happy with the result.

I just had my first week at my new job and... ugh. I actually like the job itself, but I hate the atmosphere, the management, the people there... still, it's just a 3 month internship, then I'll run for something else.  
At the beginning of the month I've started a personal art challenge called Creatures of November, on Tumblr, on Deviantart and on Furaffinity. It was something I really needed to make some change in my routine and I started pretty strong and I was really proud of my work, ended even drawing things from LoZ Breath of the Wild (Sidlink included) and Jean as a mega bat, THEN I GOT HIRED lol and everything went to a stop :c  
I wasn't expecting to get home so tired I didn't even want to draw nor write, it was pretty harsh geez, so I'll try to get back to my challenge later on, might even accept little requests from people who follow me ;3 If you're interested for the future, come see me on my Deviantart (2Due) or Furaffinity (DimensionalDragoness) too!

I'll write updates on my Tumblr (2Due-the-anteka)!

See you soon!  
2Due


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